Reaction turbine



Aug. 21, 1928. w. s. BOWEN REACTION TURBINE Filed se i. 1927 5 Sheets-Sheet i INVENTOR WILLIAM SPENCER BOWEN ATTORN EY Aug. 21, 1928. 1,681,607

W'. S. BOWEN REACTION TURBINE Filed Sept. 192'? 5 ShBGtS-SIXGQ? 2 ATTORNEY INVENTOR mum SPENCER BOWEN 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 W. S. BOWEN REACTION TURBINE Filed Sept. 1927 Aug. 21, 1928.-

ATTORNEY Aug. 21, 1928.

W. S. BOWEN REACTION TURBINE Filed Sept. 2, 192'! 5 Shets-Sheet 4 INVENTQR WILLIAM SPENCER BOWEN BY Z I, a 1

ATTORNEY Aug. 21, 1928. 1,681,607

. w. s. BOWEN REACTION TURBINE Filed sea. 2, 192: 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 VIII/1111, 110

INVENTOR WILLIAM SPENCER BOWEN BY3 ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 21, 1928.

UNITED STATES- 1,681,60 PATE (jFFlc-Ei WILLIAM SPENCEBJ' BOWEN, onwrzsmrrnnny NEW' messy.

REACTION TURBINE.

Application filed September 2, 1927. Serial No. 217,146.

The invention relates to prime movers,

more particularly to turbines of the reaction type utilizing an expansible fluid as the actuating medium. 7

The invention has for its object a turbine ofthe aforesaid type and in which the expansion is effected entirely within a single rotor unit composedpreferably of a plurality of specially designed turbo-elements adjacently disposed axially along a common shaft.

A further object of the'invention resides in the novel construction whereby leakage bea said wall, and being. further provided sub"- stantially' at the peripherywith orifices or nozzles therethrough for convey ng the fluid from one stage to the next through channelson the opposite face.

A still further objeet'of the-invention resides in the arrangement of said orifices or nozzles whereby the jet offiuiddelivered therethrough maintains constant angularity at all speeds of therotor.

One embodiment of the-invention compris ingtwo series of threestages each is set forth;

in the accompanyingdrawings, in which: Fig.1 is a front elevation, partly in longi tudinal section of the improved turbine.

Fig.2 is an-end view, a-nd hal-fverticalsec-- tion of the turbine taken on the line 2.'2,-

Fig.1. i

Fig. 3 is an elevationof one of the turbine rotor disks; a

Figs. 4, 5 and6 aretransverse sections-taken respectively on the lines Jr-4, 5-5, and 6-6, Fig.3 of the drawings.

Fig; 7 is aplaniof thenozzlememher; Fig.

8 is a rfront elevationrthereof; and Fig. 9 is a.

transverse section throughthe nozzle taken on the line 9+9, Fig. 7 i

i Fig. lOis a fragmentary longitudinalsection through the turbine and illustrates a modification therein. I

Fig. 11 is a front elevationand pa-rt verti calsection'ofthestationaryplates associated with the rotor disks of a modified fornrof turbine. v g I Fig. 12 is ahorizontal section taken on'the line 12-12, Fig. 11 of the drawings.

Referring to the drawings, 10 designates a suitable supporting base for the turbine structure which; comprises an enclosing casing 11 and suitable bearing blocks12 upon opposite sides ofsaid casing for supporting a turbine shaft. .An inlet conduit la is provided in the base ford'elivering to the turbine a suit able expansible fluid under the desired pressure;'for example, steam or products of com bustion from a suitableexplosive mixture; andan, exhaust conduit 15 communicates with the exhaust chamber 16 of thecasing for discharging thespentfluid medium. y T he said shaft 13' is provided intermediate its bearings with a. circular enlargement or boss l7- aatl'ording a shoulder for the various turbo-elements or rotor disks 18 which are suitablyv keyed thereon, two sets of three disks each indicated as'thus mounted upon the shaft and the disks of one series being reversedwith respect to the otherso that their supply port surfaces face the corresponding surfaces'ofthe d'isks ofthe other series, as will hereinafter'be more fully set forth. In order to secure these series of disks against endwise movement on the shaft, suitablecol lars 1 9' and nuts .20 threaded over reduced portions of the shaft may be provided.

Asset forth, a multiplicity of turbo-ele ments 18 are secured on the shaft to afford a multi-stage turbine, each turbo-element being constructed; in novel manner and adapted todischarge theexpansible medium from the one. element to the adjacent one-in the two s eries arrangement herein set forth, the streams of expansible fluid thus moving in opposite directions from the central distributing poi nt.

I In effecting the distributionof the cxpansible medium to two sets of turbo-ele ments, steam or other expansible fluid'is adinittedthrougll the inlet conduit 14 to the Space 25 formed between two oppositely disposed stationary annularplate members 26 and 27 at the initial stage of the respective sets of turbo-elements. These plate members" arefixedly secured" atnthe circumference to the casing-wall 10: and. on their outer faces are provided with the labyrinth type ofpaclb ingengaging the outer or cover plate members 28and 29 of a turbo-elemenh while along their inner faces they are provided with vanes 30 and 31 for minimizing eddying of the fluid medium inythe space 25. The said stationary plate members, moreover, termina'te at the centerlin an annular distributing space 32 which, in turn, is adaptedto com municate with radially disposed passageways or ports 33 in the one face of a turbo-element or disk members 18, said ports being covered, except at the extreme inner ends, by a cover plate 28 or 29.

At the outer end of each of the radial pass sageways or ports 33 of a disk member 1s mounted, as by setting the same in said disk,

a nozzle block member 35 which may be secured in position as by being screwed to the said cover plate, the latter in turn being likewise screwed to the disk member. Each of the nozzle members 35 is provided with an expanding nozzle 36 which is adaptedto communicate between the one face of a disk member, as at the outer end of av port 33, and the opposite face, discharging at said face into a circumferential channel 37 of diminishing cross-sectional area opening into a chamber 38 formed by the spacing flanges 39 of the 'adjacent disk, this arrangement being continnedfor-successive disks, and asuitable.

packing 40 being provided between succeeds ing flanges to prevent leakage. It is preferred to provide the nozzle member substantially of the nature indicated in Fig. 7 to 9 of the drawings, each nozzle throughout the system being similarly constructed though of increasing cross-sectional area with each stage.

As a stream of fluid is discharged from a nozzle, its reaction on a disk member will serve to effect rotation of the same and,

through the latter, of the turbine shaft 13v from which power may be derived in any suitable manner.

In Figs. 10 to 12 a modification in the arrangement of the sealing has been indicated lid in the provision of an intermediate statorelement, a separate and individual sealing annulus 41 for each of the several turbo-elements being provided to this end and secured in the casing of the turbine. In this in-' stance, each of such stationary annuli'is provided on its face contacting with they cover plate of a turbo-element with a labyrinth type ports discharging into the said channels, and

an annular cover plate secured to the firstnamed face of a disk.

2. In a reaction turbine, embodying a plu rality of stages: a shaft, a. rotor member comprising a plurality of disks secured to the shaft having radially directed ports over one disks.

for rotating a disk.

face and circumferentialchannels on theopshaft having radially directed ports over one face and circumferential channels on the op posite face, expanding nozzle members carried by a said disk and affordingcommunication between the outer endof a radial port and a channel, and an annular cover plate secured to the first-named face of a disk.

4.. Ina reaction turbine, embodying a plurality of stages: a shaft, a rotor member comprising a plurality ofdisks secured to the shaft having radially directed ports over one face and circumferential channels on the opposite face, the outer ends of the individual ports discharging into the said channels, and means to afford a peripheral seal between the ing communication between the outer end of the radialports and the corresponding channels and oppositely '6'. In a reaction turbine, embodyinga plurality of stages: a shaft, a rotor member com prising a plurality of disks secured" to the shaft having radially directed ports over one face and circumferential channels on the opposite face of progressively diminishing cross-sectional area, the outer ends of thein dixl idual ports discharging into the said channe s.

7 A reaction turbine, embodying two oppositely disposed series of rotor members, each member comprising a rotatably mounted disk having radially directed supply ports over one face and circumferential channels on the opposite face into which the outer'ends of the respective individual ports discharge, and an annularcover plate secured to the first-named face of a disk, the disks; of one series of the rotor members being located on directed to effect a couple prising a. plurality of disks secured to the the shaft of the turbine with their supply port surfaces facing the corresponding surfaces of thedisks of the other series of rotor members;

8. In a reaction turbine a turbo-element comprising a rotatably mounted disk having radially directed ports over one face and circumferential channels onthe opposite face, the outer ends of the individual ports discharging into corresponding channels, and

an annular cover plate secured to the firstnanied face of the disk.

9. In a reaction turbine: a turbo element comprising a rotatably nounted disk having radially directed ports over one face With openings at the inner end for a fluid and discharge outlets therefor at the outer end, with circumferential channels on the opposite face into which corresponding outlets discharge, and an annular cover plate secured to the 10 first-nan'led face of the disk.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

WILLIAM SPENCER BOWEN. 

